Ironer with pressure adjustment



April 10, 1951 J. J. GETGEY IRONER WITH PRESSURE ADJUSTMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 17, 1947 grime/Him Willi/III!!! 5.; IIIIIIIIIIII\\\\\\\\ April 10, 1951 J. J. GETGEY IRONER WITH PRESSURE ADJUSTMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 17, 1947 VIIIII'IIIIIIIIIII'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIA Patenteci Apr. 16, 1951 IRGNER WITH PRESSURE ADJUSTMENT John J. Getgey, Cincinnati, Ohio, assi'gnor to Empire Ironer, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application April 17, 1947, Serial No. 142,018

i. This invention relates to portable power driven ironing machines and is particularly directed to a machine of the type employing a power driven rotatable roll and a heated ironing shoe adapted to be engaged against the roll. More specifically, the present invention relates to improvements in the type power driven ironing machine disclosed in patents to W. E. Stilwell, No. 2,157,686, issued May 2, 3.939, and No. 2,362,322, issued November 7, 1944.

In the machine disclosed in the patents the ironing shoe is engaged against the power driven roll by means of a hand lever. The hand lever has the additional function of controlling the motive power to the roll when the handle is moved laterally after the ironing shoe is in engagement with the roll. Provision has been made in the prior patents for locking the handle in position of opLration, that is with the roll being driven. This locking action has been obtained through the use of an abutment or notch arrangement, the handle lateral movement being latched or hooked under the abutment and at the same time holding the motor starting switch in closed position. It has been found that the use of this notch arrangement provides limitations on the amount of pressure which can be applied to the Work as interposed between the ironing shoe and the roll. This has been true since the abutment has been. fixed and there has been no control of the amount of pressure applied with the added disadvantage that as the ironer became worn and the parts loosened up, the amount of ironing pressure gradually decreased.

in the present invention this problem of ad- I justing the degree of pressure between the roll and shoe has been solved. A unitary switch and abutment assembly has been provided and this assembly has been made adjustable relative to its mounting and the handle. The adjustment means is provided in an accessible position and by a very simple operation the user may reset the assembly so that the pressure applied to the work may be varied and lessening of pressure due to wear may be compensated for by resetting the abutment and switch assembly.

Furthermore, this abutment and switch assembly is readily inserted in the machine as a unit and is readily locked in mounted position without the use of special attaching means.

Specifically, it may be clamped between certain of the other parts or" the machine when they are assembled.

The base of this machine as shown in the patents above referred to has been made of sheet 3 Claims. (CI. 38-60) metal of medium gauge and there is a tendency for the base to twist or deform under the pressures applied through the shoe engaging lever. The shoe engaging lever operates a rock shaft, the lever being fixed at one end of the shaft at the end of the base adjacent the abutment and switch assembly. The other end of the rock shaft carries the arm which swings the shoe against the roll and is located adjacent the other end of the base diagonally opposite the point of engagement of the lever with the abutment. Thus, when the shoe is locked in position with the lever under the abutment, twisting strains are exerted on the base since pressures are applied to the base at the abutment end and at the bearing of the rock shaft adjacent the shoe operating arm. In order to prevent this twisting, a stiiiening bar is mounted across the underside of the base having its respective ends adjacent these pressure points. This bar has the additional function of serving as a conduit for wiring extending from the switch to the reigon of the arm where the wiring connects to the heat control unit for the shoe.

There has been a tendency for the roll to defiect at its ends since the driving connection for the power as disclosed is to the center portion of the roll. In the present improvement this deflection of the roll is limited by a series of rollers disposed circumierentially around one end of the shoe internally thereof for engagement with a bearing contact sleeve; these rollers tending to stabilize the movement of the roll and to keep it in alignment with the axis of the driving mechanism.

In the past machines it has been difiicult for the housewife to manipulate the roll, that is to be able to rotate it so as to feed the materials to be ironed to a starting relationship with the ironing shoe due to the fact that such rotation meant back rotation of the speed reduction unit and the motor; this being practically impossible.

This disadvantage has been overcome by the use of an improved free wheeling clutch which permits initial feeding movements of the roll by hand before the power is connected to the roll.

In addition to the above improvements, a heat control apparatus has been included, this apparatus being readily controllable from the back of the machine and mounted in a novel manner with respect to the shoe and its operating mechanism so that the heat control unit does not interfere with the flexible movements of the ironing shoe. Furthermore, the heat control dial is associated with the backof the arm which sup- 3 ports the shoe in a manner which permits the use of indications on the shoe operating arm. A further feature of this arrangement is the use of the shoe operating arm as a guard preventing the operator from contacting the heated shoe when the control dial is manipulated.

Other objects and certain advantages will be more fully apparent from the following detailed description of the drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a general longitudinal sectional view of the ironer.

Figure 2 is an end view of the ironer.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Figure l with the roll mounting and driving plate and the driving unit removed to illustrate the stabilizing rollers for the ironing roll.

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 4-6 of Figure 3 detailing the means for mounting the ironing shoe, the rheostat and the drive for the roll.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Figure 4 further detailing the roll driving connection.

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 6-6 of Figure 1 detailing the shoe operating lever and the control means.

Figure '7 is a sectional view taken along line 1-1 of Figure 6 showing the lever in position when the roll is not being driven.

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken similar to Figure 7 showing the control lever in operating position.

Figure 9 is an enlarged fragmentary view in horizontal section of the control lever attachment to the shoe support shaft.

Figure 10 is a bottom view of the ironer.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary sectional view of the switch unit taken on line Hil of Figure 6.

Figure 12 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line l2-l2 of Figure 11.

Figure 13 is a fragmentary detail view illustrating the attachment of one of the work return guides to the ironing shoe.

Figure 14 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line I l-l 4, Figure 5, detailing one of the driving rollers and flat springs comprising the roll driving clutch.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the base of the machine is indicated at l5, the feeding roll generally at l6, and the ironer shoe at H. The feeding roll consists of an open cylindrical drum it; having a padded periphery typical of such ironer rolls, and two cylindrical stiffener sleeves, one in each end, indicated at Hi. In this instance, the padding is made up of a layer of fibrous material 20, such as cotton or felt fibres, and a cloth covering 2|.

The roll is mounted and driven centrally of its length and is clear of obstacles at the ends so as to permit the operator to iron successive widths of a piece, the total width of which may be greater than the width of the ironing element.

As shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, the roll is supported from one end only. The support means consist of a cantilever bracket 22, having a pedestal portion 23, secured to the base of the machine. The upper portion 24 of the bracket extends horizontally and parallel with the base and projects into the open end of the feeding roll. The inner extremity of this projected portion of the bracket includes a flange 25 to which is attached the power unit 26.

The power unit 26 consists of a motor 21 and a speed reducing unit 28. The motor end of the 4 power unit includes a fan 29 adapted to cool the motor. The drive shaft 30 of the power unit projects from the inner end thereof and is disposed co-axially of the feeding roll. The power unit is attached to the flange 25 by means of bolts 32, preferably three in number. The bolts 32 are counterturned near the flange to provide bearings for stabilizing rollers 33. The drum l8 being made of sheet metal will spring if unequal thicknesses of cloth are ironed at once and, if sprung enough, the stiffener or bearing contact sleeve is on the inside of the drum contacts the rollers 33 and further disalignment is prevented.

The motor 2'! and speed reduction unit 28 are connected by means of a drive shaft, and spacer bolts 34, preferably two in number, support the motor on the speed reduction unit. The drive and support of the roll cylinder is accomplished through the medium of a roll mounting plate or spider 35 attached within the cylinder and located in a position centrally between the ends of the cylinder. Accordingly the cylinder is supported on the drive shaft in a balanced condition. The spider 35 includes a peripheral flange 36 which is rigidly secured to the inner periphery of the feed roll drum by means of a plurality of rivets (Figure 4). A plurality of arms project inwardly of this rim and terminate in a hub 38.

The shaft 30 is held in place against axial displacement relative to the speed reduction unit by means of a washer 39 engaged in an annular groove in the shaft adjacent the speed reduction unit (Figure 4). The washer is laterally slotted so as to slip into position in the annular groove laterally. Displacement of this washer is prevented by means of a cup-shaped retainer washer fill within which the slotted washer nests when in assembled position. Vlfhen the roller is placed in position on the shaft, the hub 38 of the spider 35 is engaged against the cup-shaped retainer washer and thus the washers are held in assembly between the end of the hub and the adjacent hub of the speed reduction unit. The support spider 35 for the roll is held on the extended end of the shaft for rotative movement by means of a washer 3? engaged on the end of the shaft and against the outer face of the hub 38 by means of a screw il which is threaded axially into the end of the shaft.

An overriding clutch arrangement (Figure 5i is disposed within the hub 38 and around the drive shaft 30. The bore of the hub 38 is provided longitudinally with slots or recesses, the depth of which increases in a generally circumferential direction as shown in Figure 5. Disposed within the slots are rollers 42 and pressure maintaining springs 43. As shown in Figure 14, these springs are of slightly broad, flat leaf type. When the motor is started, the rollers 42 are wedged further into the spaces between the shaft and the bottoms of the slots, creating a frictional connection between the shaft and the hub, thus driving the feeding roll l8.

Due to the provision of this clutch arrangement, it is possible for the operator to rotate the roll in the normal feed direction as the work is adjusted on the roll prior to starting the motor. In other words, the work may be placed on the roll and the roll freely rotated to bring the work up to the edge of the ironing shoe. This overriding clutch disconnecting the roller from the drive at this time greatly facilitates the use of the ironer. It will be obvious that it is impossible to rotate the roll by hand if the roll is attached a mannerto the shaft and therefore to the gear train in the speed reduction unit and to the motor since this involves back rotation. of the speed reduction train of gears.

' The iroher shoe Ilcompris'es an arcuate ironing element 44;3, heating element 45 and acover plate 46. The shoe is of substahtiallythe same curvature asthe ion, and is mounted in cooperaitiye relationship therewith The shoe assembly "issupported and mounted on a T-shapcd support bracket W adapted to swing the 'shoe assembly against the roll when the honor isin operation.

The T-shaped bracket 47 consists of an upwardly extended shank member 48 and includes across arm 9 at its up er end. The lower end of the bracket is secured on a longitudinal rock shaft 58 which is actuated by means or an op crating lever 51, projecting outwardly of the machine at one side of the roll. The operating leyer 5| is removably pinned {to therock shaft (Figure 9) and the Shaft itself is rotatably mounted in bearing bra kets 52 5 2.

The cr ss arm 49 includes a pair of spring sockets 53 53, one socket at each end of said and Each ofthe 'socket's rovides a housing for a spring 53, the purpose of which is to provide a resilient mounting for the ironer shoe'a'ssem'b ly and to vary the distance of theshce from the roll when the ironer is'i'n operation. Each "of the resilient mountings is constructed iii the io'ilowthe manner: 7

t A stud 55 issecured to and projects from the ironer shoe and extends axially within the socket '53. The spring 54 is under compression between the irbn'er shoe and the inneren'do'fthe socket or 1 receptacle 53. The assembly is heldtogether by means of a nut 56- in screw-threaded engagement on the stud. The tension of the springm'ay be adjusted by means of thisnut. The stud '55 loose- 1y traverses the spring socket '53 so as to permit "angular movement of the shoe. The shoe there- 'fore may be described as universally resilient.

Theresiliency 'of the mountings allows the shoe to behold against the. roller underyielding spring pressure t '-1:ierfn it' the shoe to be sprung away iron; the roller when unusual thicknesses of material are fed therebetwee'n. A'n'yirregul' r thickindicated at. 64'. The switch is provided with a spring pressed button 55, the outer end of which is adapted to be engaged and depressed when the control lever is moved laterally into the notch 63.

I of movement of the operating lever i ness is accommodated by the angular yielding of the shoe so that the pressure is uniform over the entire face Of the 'ironer shoe.

The control lever 5 is secured (Figure 9) on the longitudinal rock Shaft in a yoke 57. This "yokfis pinned to the rock Shaft by a pin 58 and has a lateral boss 59 in which the control lever 5'! is inserted or socketed. A flattened end portion 61} engaged in a semi-circular extension 'of the socket prevents rotation of'the controliever.

The bore 61 of'the y ke is or slightly larger "diameter than the rock shaft and in addition is tapered at each end to permit the yoke to be canted as shown in Figure 9. This lateral move- 'ment of the yoke is necessary to permit lateral movement of the control lever 5| for operation of the motor control switch as described hereinafter. I The bracket 22 includes along its inner edge two notches 6 2, 63 which are progressively deeper and which act as stops to hold the control lever in its respective control positions. The notch 62 is used when the iron'er is not in operation and the "notch 153 when the ironer is in operation. Provision is made for controlling the drive of the roll iii . inserted therein a block of insulation ll.

The button E35 projects outwardly into the path The buttfon is located in alignment with the notch 63 so that, when the operatin lever is swung laterally after bringing the shoe into engagement with the roll, the button will be depressed. The switchis so constructed that depression or this button closes the motor circuit.

The switch unit, which includes the button 65, as indicated generally at St is designed for adjustment and is arranged for easy installation in combination with the base and cantilever bracket 22. It consists mainly of a base plate 66 of rectangular form and a main switch carrying body 6 1. The base plate has formed therewith 2. lug 68 extending upwardly and constituting the pivo'tal'- mounting for the body. The sides Et'-39of the body straddle the lug at the bottom of the switch ll which incorporates the button on the body,a flange 12 is struck out laterally from one of the side Walls of the body.

The switch is not internally illustrated for its structure is of conventional type. As can be seen from the drawings, particularly Figures 7 and S, the switch includes a body it and a mounting and switch button carrying bushing "i i projecting from one side thereof and passing through the flange P2. The bushing is externally screw-threaded to receive a pair of nut i5-i5, one at either side of the flange '12. Thus, the nuts engaging the opposits sides of the flange adjustably mount the switch on this flange. The deprcssible switch button 55 is slidably mounted within the bushing and includes a head engageable by the control lever.

The cantilever bracket is tubular and its inner wall include an opening shaped so as to permit the switch button to project therethrough and to permit a portion 16 of the body to project therethrough just-beneath the shoulder constituted by the notch 83. This projected portion of the body is of inverted channel shape in end view and has The block of insulation Tl (Figure 11') extends below "the lower edges of the channel portion of the body arid constiti-ites an abutment pad engaged by the control "lever when moved laterally and under which the switch button is engaged. It will be noted that the switch button is in a plane just bene'ath the abutment pad 'i'a'. w

This switch unit is adjusted on its pivot by means of an adjustment screw it extended upwardly through an aperture in the base member and having its screw-threaded end traversing a lug 19 extended between the side Walls of the body. -A coil spring under compression is disposed about the screw between the lug and the base and tends to urge the switch unit upwardly at all times. 'It will be noted that adjustment of the screw will, therefore, raise and lower the abutment pad'or blockof insulation ll This adjustment "is provided so that the operator may increase the ironing pressure on the A material being ironed. By moving the abutment pad to a lower position it becomes necessary to lower the control lever a greater amount and thus to press the shoe more tightly against the roll in order to move the control lever laterally under the abutment pad and against the switch plunger. The head of the adjustment screw projects through an opening in the base and is easily accessible from the bottom of the ironer. It thus affords a means for close adjustment of the control so that the operator can procure any degree of ironing pressure desirable.

The bottom of the cantilever bracket includes an aperture open to the tubular interior of the bracket. This opening includes a marginal recess 8| of the same depth as the thickness of the base plate and of the same general outline. Thus, the switch unit including the base plate is inserted through the opening as a unit and the base plate is seated in the countersunk marginal recess, thus I disposing its undersurface flush with the undersurface of the bracket. When the bracket is secured upon the base 82 by means of the screws 83, the base plate is clamped in position and the switch unit is therefore rigidly mounted in assembled position.

The disposition of the screws 83 will be evident from Figure 10. Looking at the bottom of the ironer it will be noted that a stiffener member or beam 84 is provided. This beam is designed to stiffen the base. The base is formed of sheet metal and, although it has a marginal flange 85, there is a tendency for the ironing forces to twist the base member. Considerable pressure is eX- erted against the abutment pad ll by the control lever and this pressure is carried through the rock shaft to the arm which actuates the shoe. The pressures effective at these points tend to twist the base plate as stated and accordingly the beam or stiffener 85 is secured to the underside of the base with its ends beneath these respective points of pressure. Thus the beam is disposed diagonally as shown. The beam consists of a channel element having its open face disposed upwardly and being secured to the base by means of screws 83 and. 86, the screw 83 also holding the cantilever bracket in position. It

- will be noted that the beam also constitutes a conduit for the wiring 81 extending from the switch element to the heat control unit. It is ideally located for this purpose.

In order to control the temperature of the ironing shoe, a temperature control device 96, is provided. The device itself is mounted on the back of the ironer shoe being attached thereto by means of screws 9 I. The wiring to this heat control unit is brought up from the base through a flexible cable 92 attached to the underside of the unit. The control for the heating unit extends rearwardly in the form of a shaft 93, this shaft passing through and loosely traversing an opening 94 in the center of the cross arm which supports the shoe. The control knob 95 is attached to the extended end of the shaft and includes a pointer operating relative to markings printed on the back of the cross arm, namely High, Low and Medium. The temperature control unit is suitably connected to the shoe heatin unit disposed between the cover plate and the main element of the shoe. Rotation of the control handle will vary the amount of heat delivered to the shoe. The cross arm is of channel form facing inwardly and housing the control unit. Since the control knob is at the back of this cross arm the chances of the operator touching the hot shoe and control element when setting the control are greatly reduced.

. In order to guide the finished work as it leaves the roll, curve guide elements 96 are provided, these being in the form of leaf springs. The upper ends of the elements are fixed to the lower edge of the cover plate by means of rivets. They curve downwardly forwardly and their lower ends rest upon the base so that they are free to lide on the base as the shoe is moved. The finished work as it leaves the roll moves downwardly on these guides and is carried forwardly to a position where it may be conveniently removed at the front of the machine. The curvature of the r guides is quite gradual so that the work is not folded or wrinkled as it moves forwardly between the roll and the base member. The spring members have the additional function of urging the shoe away from the roller. As previously mentioned, these uides are formed of leaf springs. The spring members are rigidly secured on the shoe and have their lower free ends engaged against the base member under compression. Thus, the shoe is constantly urged away from the roll, and the working engagement of the shoe is dependent upon downward actuation of the control, lever.

In operation, with the control lever engaged in the notch, the shoe is engaged against the roll under a predetermined pressure which is virtually constant once it has been set by the adjustment means for the switch unit, irrespective of rclatively minor variations in the thickness of the material being ironed. This condition is assured by the spring, action of the resilient connection between the T-shaped bracket 41 and the shoe.

The angular freedom afforded the shoe is effective for permitting relative angular motion between the roll and the shoe as the work is fed therebetween. The forward, leading edge of the shoe is flared outwardly to facilitate entry of the edge of the material as it is started under the ironer shoe. As the leading edge of the work is presented to the roll, a slight angular tilting of the shoe will occur, especially if the work is of considerable thickness. as for example, a blanket. As the feed progresses, the shoe will return to normal position so that there is uniform ironing pressure throughout the entire operation.

In the event that the work is of greater thickness on one side than the other, the feed roll will yield angularly to a slight degree from its horizontal alignment. This movement is permitted, as previously described, by the flexibility of the feeding roll and is limited by contact with the rollers on the flange extension 32. In this manner uniform ironing pressure is assured across the entire length of the roll and shoe.

Briefly, the angular resiliency of the shoe mounting, in addition to the flexibility of the roll, provides a structure which will accommodate any reasonable variation in the thickness of the material being ironed. This condition provides a uniform ironing pressure across the entire length of the shoe and ensures against variations in pressure throughout the length of the piece being ironed. As stated, the pressure can be varied by raising or lowering the abutment in the down or operating notch. The variations in the position of the abutment not only vary the ironing pressures but permit greater thicknesses of material to be accommodated between the roll and the shoe.

The efficiency of the machine is greatly increased by the installation of the thermostatic control in the shoe. Certain materials should not be ironed under as great a heat as others, or damage to the material might result. With the thermostatic control the operator can adjust the heating element to the desired heat for the material being ironed.

The utility of the machine is greatly increased by the cantilever bracket employed in mounting and driving the roll. The usual cross shaft and driving members and brackets are completely dispensed with and one end of the roll is left entirely clear of obstruction. The difiiculty usually encountered in handling layer pieces of work is greatly reduced by the present improved structure. Moreover, since the driving mechanism is entirely enclosed within the roll, the danger of soiling the work with oil and grease from the driving and supporting apparatus is eliminated.

Having describedv my invention, I claim:

1. In a portable ironer having a base, a cantilever bracket mounted on the base, an ironing roll rotatably mounted on the cantilever bracket, power means for driving the roll, and an ironing shoe engageable with the roll, means for locking the shoe in operative engagement with the roll comprising; a rock shaft mounted on the base parallel with the ironing roll, a bracket connecting the rock shaft to the ironing shoe, a hand lever, means attaching the lever to the rock shaft, said means permitting horizontal movement of the lever relative to the base, said cantilever bracket including a pair of abutments located at different elevations relative to the base with the lower abutment being offset laterally with respect to the upper, the upper abutment being engageable by the lever when the shoe is away from the roll and the lower engageable by the lever when the shoe is operatively engaged with the roll, a switch assembly unit for controlling the power means, said assembly unit including the lower abutment as a part thereof, and said unit being vertically adjustably mounted with respect to the base whereby the pressure between the operatively engaged shoe and roll may be varied.

2. In a portable ironing machine of the type having a base, a bracket mounted on the base, an ironing roll rotatably supported by the bracket, an electric motor for driving the roll, a shoe engageable with the roll, and a hand lever in operative connection with the shoe, said lever being arranged to move the shoe into operative engagement with the roll when lowered and to move the shoe away from the roll when raised, said lever being disposed adjacent the bracket and adapted to be swung toward it when lowered to bring the shoe into operative engagement with the roll, the improvement comprising; an abutment and motor switch assembly unit, said unit being pivotally mounted within the bracket with the abutment protruding therefrom, whereby the lever is adapted to engage the underside of the abutment when lowered and swung toward the bracket for locking the shoe and roll in operative engagement, and means for vertically adjusting the elevation of the abutment relative to the base whereby the pressure between the roll and shoe when operatively engaged can be varied.

3. In aportable ironing machine of the type having a base, a bracket mounted on the base, an ironing roll rotatably supported by the bracket, an electric motor for driving the roll, an ironing shoe engageable with the roll, and a hand lever in operative connection with the shoe, said lever being arranged to-move the shoe into operative engagement with the roll when lowered and to move the shoe away from the roll when raised, said lever being disposed adjacent the bracket and adapted to be swung toward it when lowered, the improvement comprising; an abutment and motor switch assembly unit, said unit being pivotally mounted within the bracket with the abutment and switch elements of the unit protruding therefrom, said switch element being disposed beneath the abutment and in fixed relationship thereto, whereby the lever upon being swung toward the bracket from the lowered position engages the underside of the abutment for locking the shoe and roll in operative engagement and at the same time engages the switch for energizing the motor, and adjustment screw means for raising or lowering the abutment relative to the base whereby the pressure between the operatively engaged roll and shoe can be varied.

JOHN J. GETGEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:'

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,433,980 Behan Oct. 31, 1922 1,594,158 Else July 27, 1926 2,039,149 Dodge Apr. 28, 1936 2,157,086 Stilwell May 2, 1939 2,162,589 Rich June 13, 1939 2,313,361 Richards Mar. 9, 1943 2,338,163 Bradley Jan. 4, 1944 2,341,701 Dudley et a1. Feb. 15, 1944 2,362,322 Stilwell Nov. 7, 1944 2,414,183 Bradley Jan, 14, 1947 

